


All the Way for You

by green78



Series: Imagine Your OTP: Red Beauty [2]
Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/F, Red Beauty - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-05-31
Updated: 2013-05-31
Packaged: 2017-12-13 12:26:03
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,696
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/824299
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/green78/pseuds/green78
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Written for femphoenix’s birthday using the “Imagine Your OTP” prompt “Imagine your OTP standing in front of the mic at a karaoke night, Person A asks for the best love song you can imagine and they forget all about the crowd.” Rating for Red Beauty love in Part 2.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> [Blackangel94a](http://blackangel94a.tumblr.com/) made some awesome [fanart](http://blackangel94a.deviantart.com/art/Ruby-from-All-the-Way-for-You-377738932) for this story!

Very unlike her pre-cursed self, Ruby hadn’t touched her drink. She played with the glass (and the straw and the umbrella and the coaster) and bit her lip while Snow, Emma, and Regina all enjoyed their cocktails, chatting and laughing as if nothing was wrong. As if Ruby wasn’t about to do her personal equivalent of a walk to the gallows and a public hanging. Only Belle was sympathetic to her plight and hadn’t let go of Ruby’s hand (though her other hand was occupied by a Long Island iced tea). “Ruby, honestly, you’ll be  _fine_ ,” she kept saying. “Besides, I’ve been trying to get you to do this for ages anyway, so it’s about time you caved.”

Emma, overhearing this, made the motion of cracking a whip and the noise to go with it, causing Ruby to scowl and everyone else to giggle. “Seriously, Ruby, you’ll be _fine_ ,” Emma continued. “You’ll be better than fine; you’ll be awesome.”

“You know, you’re all basing this off a recording of a song in the shower – a  _duet_ , I might remind you,” Ruby ground out.

“Don’t worry, we’ll shove Belle onstage eventually,” Emma countered. “You first, though.”

Ruby groaned and let her head drop to the table. “I don’t even know what I’m going to sing!”

“A love song, of course,” Snow replied, causing Regina and Emma to roll their eyes.

“’Cause that wouldn’t be embarrassing at all…” Ruby countered.

“Come on, sweetie,” Belle encouraged, rubbing her back. “Maybe sing one of our songs?”

Ruby’s head shot back up, a stricken look on her face. “No, no, not in front of people! That’s too personal!”

It was Belle’s turn to roll her eyes. “Fine. Surprise me with a love song I haven’t heard before.”

Emma arched an eyebrow. “She hasn’t sung you all the ones she knows yet? For shame.”

“ _Emma,”_ Belle chided. Ruby was about to make a retort when the conversation was interrupted by applause throughout the Rabbit Hole for the previous performer. The bartender took the microphone. “Thank you for that lovely performance! Next up we have Ruby Lucas!”

There was more applause, and a very pale-faced Ruby stood and headed for the stage. Halfway there, she was stopped by a hand on her arm, and when she turned to see who it was, she was stunned to find Regina. “Pick a song you can sing just for Belle; forget everybody else here. Pick a song that’ll let her know how much she means to you. Do you know one?”

It took Ruby a second to process the question through her shock at Regina’s openness. After a moment of thought, her eyes lit up. “Yes,” she replied in a triumphant whisper. “Yes, I do.”

Regina smiled – a genuine, pleased smile. Emma really was good for her, it seemed. “Go get ‘em, then,” she said, pushing Ruby forward. Grinning in return and nodding her thanks, Ruby made her way to the stage and Regina returned to her seat.

“What was that about?” Emma asked.

“Just a song idea,” Regina replied. When the other three women stared at her with open astonishment, she frowned, confused and defensive. “What?”

Emma said nothing, instead kissing her on the cheek (at which Snow turned away with a disgusted grimace and Belle smiled fondly).

Ruby whispered her request to the Jackson, who was DJ-ing, and he grinned, giving her a thumbs up. “Great choice!”

“I’m glad you have it,” Ruby admitted with relief.

“I have everything,” Jefferson joked, spreading his hands as if to encompass the world. Ruby rolled her eyes, but she was smiling all the same as she stepped in front of the mic stand. Seeing that she was ready, the crowd quieted a little.

“This is ‘All the Way/4U,’ by Poets of the Fall,” Ruby said, somehow confident and shy all at once, “and I’m dedicating it to Belle French.” There was a chorus of “aww!” throughout some of the crowd, and Belle blushed and beamed at her.

All it took was the first few notes of the guitar solo before Ruby felt the song overtake her. It was one of her favourites, though she’d never sung it for Belle before. She’d found it to be almost too powerful, the lyrics too intense. But their relationship was at the point where Ruby could sing the words and mean every single one – truly, she had been able to since the beginning. Now, though, she knew that Belle would understand the words and why Ruby sang them and everything the song meant to and about the two of them. Taking the song up an octave so it fit her range, Ruby began to sing, her voice sure and clear and overflowing with emotion just for Belle.

“ _Seems to matter what I do,_  
_So I’m saving this for you._  
_‘Cause it seems to be the last piece there is,_  
_And you haven’t had a chance yet to taste this,  
__Fragments of a life you shouldn’t miss.”_

Belle’s breath caught at the words, each one a soft caress even as they slid deep into her heart. Ruby really  _was_ singing for her and only her, reaffirming a love too powerful to be expressed as anything but music.

“ _Seems to matter what I say,”_ Ruby continued, allowing herself to sink deeper into the song.  
“ _So I’ll hold my tongue at bay_  
_And rather use my mouth to kiss your frown away_  
_So your doubts no longer darken your day_  
_And you can hold your head up high come what may.  
__So please remember that I’m gonna follow through all the way.”_

The entire bar had fallen silent, completely entranced. Belle’s heart had constricted in her chest, and she was finding it hard to breathe. She remembered all the nights she woke up screaming and Ruby had been there, holding her and kissing her and telling her it would be all right because the wolf-woman would always be there for her. She remembered all the times that one thing or another had made her doubt herself and her worth, but then Ruby would press their lips together and make Belle feel like she was worth everything. Ruby was her strength and guiding light, and the rest of the world disappeared around Belle, leaving only the woman she loved singing out to her in a voice to make Orpheus weep.

“ _…All the way…_  
_‘Cause it seems to matter where I go._  
_I will always let you know_  
_That the place where I am is never far._  
_You know you’re not alone, don’t be alarmed._  
_I’ll find you no matter where you are.  
__So please remember that I’m gonna follow through all the way.”_

At this point, Belle could feel the tears welling in her eyes, and she bit her lip in an effort to keep them from spilling. On all the nights Ruby ran beneath the moon before their Wolfstime Hunts began, Belle had waited either at her apartment above the library or at the edge of the woods, and every night, the wolf would return to her before dawn. Even if Belle was asleep, the wolf would curl up next to her, falling into slumber with one paw over her human love’s heart. When Belle was awake, and even sometimes in her sleep, she would bury her face in soft fur, calmed by the feel of their hearts beating in time. And on the nights Belle began to feel alone, Ruby somehow  _knew_  and would return to her early, laying a comforting head on Belle’s shoulder as the woman threw her arms around her neck. Ruby had made it quite clear the night she had taken Belle as her mate that she would keep her close and never let her go, protecting her to the point of being possessive. Belle accepted it, embraced it, revelled in it, and vowed to Ruby that she would always do the same. Neither of them would ever be alone again.

There was a brief piano interlude before the trickiest part of the song, where acoustic guitar gave way to electric, and soul-baring words carried on a high melody. Ruby took a second to look over at her friends and her love, and the expressions on her friends’ faces nearly made her grin despite herself. Emma, Regina, and Snow all sat with their jaws hanging open, drinks completely forgotten as they stared at Ruby in overwhelmed astonishment. But it was Belle’s face that undid her – the love and devotion and understanding and acceptance and pure joy of having such words sung for her. Ruby felt as if the radiance of Belle’s emotions had wrapped her in golden light and warmth, and she sang the finale from the depths of her heart.

“ _Oh my love, if it’s all I can do, I’ll take the fall for you! ‘Cause I will soar when I lay down with you and give my all for you!”_

Ruby closed her eyes as she finally let the song take her completely, voice ringing out for all but meaning the most to one.

“ _Oh my love, if it’s all I can do, I’ll take the fall for you! ‘Cause I will soar when I lay down with you and give my all for you!”_

Ruby held out the last note, piercing the air and hitting Belle in the heart. She couldn’t help but let her tears fall, overflowing with love for the woman onstage. As the last echoes of her voice faded to the background music, Ruby gave Belle a tentative smile, as if to ask if she’d done well. Belle let out a choked laugh as she broke into a full-out grin, and Ruby’s eyes held a twinkle that looked suspiciously like a glisten as she grinned back.

The song ended, and for a moment, the entirety of the Rabbit Hole was silent. Then the bar erupted in uproarious applause, some people even giving a standing ovation, including Ruby’s four companions. They cheered the loudest, whistling and clapping and, in Emma’s case, jumping up and down. Ruby’s grin widened even as she began to blush, and she gave the audience a shy curtsey before stepping away from the mic. Jefferson held up his hand for a high-five, which Ruby shakily returned.

“Holy  _shit_ , girl, that was  _awesome_!” he yelled over the noise. Ruby barely managed to stammer her thanks, the crowd’s reaction making her giddy. Jefferson could tell, so he sent her offstage with a laugh.

Despite the chaos surrounding her, Ruby was focused on Belle, and the rest of the world existed as a blur in her peripheral as she made her way to her love. Belle was back on her barstool, too shaky with emotion to stand, and she was still crying, even as she continued to gaze at Ruby with a radiant smile. “So…how was it?” Ruby breathed, voice now quiet and tentative.

Belle shook her head once in disbelief at the question before taking Ruby’s face into her hands and pulled her into the deepest, most passionate kiss she could muster. Ruby responded with fervour, wrapping her arms around Belle’s waist and pulling their bodies flush against each other. When the smaller woman needed to breathe, she pulled back to meet Ruby’s eyes. “Marry me!” she blurted.

Ruby didn’t hesitate or even blink. “Yes!” she exclaimed back, and the two embraced as the wolf-woman’s tears joined her mate’s.

Heedless of the three women beside themselves with excitement, Ruby placed a kiss against Belle’s neck. “If I’d known this would be your reaction, I’d’ve done karaoke sooner.” Belle responded by smacking Ruby’s back, and the taller woman laughed before bringing their lips together again.

They made each other a promise, then, in their kiss and embrace and unencumbered bliss – a promise they made to each other every second of every day:  _I’ll take the fall for you…and give my all for you._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ["All the Way/4U" - Poets of the Fall](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HG6b9GjLhtU)


	2. Chapter 2

“You know, I’m pretty sure you’re supposed to wait until  _after_ we’re married to carry me, and even then, only over the threshold,” Belle remarked, though the loving, giddy grin on her face and the way her arms tightened around Ruby’s neck suggested that she really didn’t mind her current position in her love’s arms.

“Psh. You’re my mate – I can carry you wherever I want,” Ruby replied as she began to ascend the stairs to their bedroom, cradling Belle with equal parts tenderness and possessiveness. “You know, I suppose it’s only fair that you were the one to propose, since I’m the one who claimed you.”

“Oh, is that how you’re reasoning it?” Belle giggled as Ruby kicked open the bedroom door. “It wasn’t that you were nervous or anything?”

“Hey! Again, I claimed you first, remember?” the wolf-woman protested, bending to nip at Belle’s neck, making the smaller woman purr, even as she giggled again.

“If I recall correctly, you were rather nervous about that, too.” Her laugh turned into a gasp as Ruby bit her again, harder.

“Maybe,” the wolf-woman replied as she laid Belle on their bed, slipping off both their shoes before lying down as well, hovering over her. Ruby propped herself up on her elbows as she looked down at her mate, a twinkle in her eye and a goofy grin on her face. “But I seem to recall that nervousness disappearing rather quickly, considering how the rest of the night went.”

Belle laughed as she pulled Ruby – her mate, her fiancée, her  _true love –_  into the most passionate kiss she could offer. “I don’t suppose I could tempt you into a repeat performance?” the smaller woman managed to gasp when they’d broken apart for air.

Ruby smiled at her again – a soft smile that bared all her emotions and radiated all her love and offered all of herself to her mate. The sight overwhelmed Belle’s heart and brought tears to her eyes as she stared up at the woman who was her world. Seeing this, Ruby placed feather-light kisses to her eyelids before whispering her reply against Belle’s lips. “Anything you ask, my love. I’m yours.” Belle did cry, then, choking on a sob as Ruby kissed every one of her tears away, murmuring soothing words against her skin as she ran her fingers through soft brown hair.

“I love you, Ruby,” Belle whispered.

“I love you, Belle,” Ruby spoke in return, breathing every word against her mate’s lips before capturing them in a kiss that brought smouldering affection to a roaring flame. Belle wrapped her arms around Ruby’s neck again, tightening her grip when the wolf-woman’s tongue began to duel with hers. Ruby slid her hands beneath Belle’s tank top to press against hot skin flushed with need and was delighted to find that her lover had foregone a bra that night. Belle whimpered and arched as Ruby took advantage of this, pinching and rolling hardened nipples between her fingertips as she nibbled along Belle’s jaw and down her neck. They separated just far enough for Ruby to pull Belle’s shirt over her head and toss it aside before the wolf-woman bent and sucked.

Once, Belle might’ve bitten her lip to muffle the noises she made, embarrassed by how loud she could get. But Ruby had encouraged her from the start to be as vocal as she wanted, even if it meant she screamed herself hoarse. So when the wet heat of her love’s mouth engulfed her nipple, Belle did nothing to hold back her delighted moans as she tangled her fingers in Ruby’s hair, pushing her closer. The wolf-woman chuckled as she flicked her tongue over the pert bud, massaging Belle’s neglected breasts with one hand while slipping the other down to gently push her legs apart. Ruby let Belle’s nipple slide from between her lips, and Belle’s whimper of disappointment was replaced by another moan as the wolf-woman’s hand continued what her mouth had begun. Ruby tried not to rush as she kissed her way down Belle’s stomach, but the scent of the woman’s arousal was making her mouth water, and the sight of Belle’s glistening folds made Ruby long to devour her with ruthless speed. Instead, Ruby pressed soft kisses against swollen lips, her tongue darting out for tastes of her love’s essence, eliciting whimpering cries from the woman at her mercy. Though she was reluctant to take her hands from Belle’s breasts, she gave them one last caress before sliding them downwards to join her mouth. Spreading her love with her fingertips, Ruby wrapped her lips around Belle’s clit, moaning at the heady taste of her mate’s juices.

Ruby’s noise of pleasure sent delicious vibrations through Belle’s clit, making her thrash and cry and plead for release. When she felt the wolf-woman’s long tongue lap against the throbbing bundle of nerves she thought she might die of arousal. But then the glorious sensation was gone, and Belle was about to protest when she felt that same tongue slide into her core and flutter against her walls as Ruby’s thumb rubbed firm circles on her clit. All coherent thought was lost as Belle spiralled into a delirium of pleasure, gripping the sheets with one hand and her mate’s hair with the other. Ruby began to thrust her tongue at a steady pace, curling it when it was deepest to touch the soft spot inside her love, and each brush against it made Belle see stars behind her closed eyelids. She could feel the spark of her release begin between her legs, growing hotter with each thrust and caress until the tension was almost unbearable.

“Ruby…oh Gods, Ruby…I’m almost…just a little…” The wolf-woman understood, pressing all the harder and faster into Belle’s core. Belle teetered on the precipice, needing one last push…

And then Ruby began to hum against Belle’s folds, and even through the haze of her ecstasy, she recognized the tune, and she was lost. The building climax ignited into an inferno of sensory overload that burned along her nerves, and she tensed and shuddered as she screamed Ruby’s name. Ruby smiled as she rode out the aftershocks, drinking every ounce of Belle’s release as it flooded into her mouth. She didn’t cease her ministrations until her love went limp beneath her, and Ruby left one last kiss against Belle’s centre before crawling back up the bed and holding her close, rubbing her back as her shivers began to subside. Belle clung to her mate as she tried to catch her breath. “I love you,” she managed to gasp, the words and the woman they were for more important than air. “Ruby, I love you so much.”

Ruby kissed her forehead, whispering “I love you, Belle,” against her flushed skin. Belle’s response was to nuzzle her face into Ruby’s neck, and the wolf-woman smiled as she cradled her mate. As Belle slowly returned to her senses, she realized something very important.

“Ruby?”

“Yes?”

“You’re still wearing clothes.”

Ruby chuckled. “Yes, I am.”

Belle moved back just far enough to meet Ruby’s eyes with a serious gaze. “We must fix that.”

The wolf-woman tried to keep serious herself, but instead broke into one of her goofy grins. “Yes, we must.”

As gorgeous as Ruby’s top and jeans were, Belle had no qualms about tearing them in her struggle to remove them. Ruby didn’t exactly seem heartbroken, either, shrugging out of the confining fabric until she was bare before her mate. Kneeling opposite each other on the bed, Belle drew Ruby into her arms and proceeded to place a series of soft kisses along her neck, tasting her skin with teasing flicks of her tongue. But when Ruby whimpered and ground her centre against Belle’s thigh, drenching her with her arousal, the smaller woman knew that her love needed her release hard and fast. Pulling Ruby closer, Belle slid three fingers into her sex without warning, the heel of her hand pressed firmly to the wolf-woman’s clit, her thigh adding much-wanted pressure. Ruby cried out at the sudden jolt of pleasure, clinging to Belle and leaving deep red scratches along her back and shoulders as she rode her love’s fingers. Belle used her free hand to press Ruby against her, rubbing their breasts together in time with Belle’s thrusts. The brunette was knuckles deep in her love’s cunt, curling her fingers against her sweet spot when she was deepest in a way that made Ruby keen and buck her hips harder. Her face was pressed into Belle’s shoulder, nipping and biting and kissing as the ecstasy threatened to overwhelm her. Belle could feel her start to tremble as she tumbled towards her peak, hovering at the edge but waiting for Belle’s permission to fall. The knowledge that only she could command Ruby like this – that only she would ever get to see her writhe in climax, that only she would ever bring her to completion, that her name would be the only one Ruby ever cried – made Belle feel powerful and wanted and  _loved_ , and she loved Ruby back with everything she had to give.

Belle nipped once at Ruby’s jaw before purring in her ear, “Howl for me, my wolf.”

Ruby threw her head back and screamed her release to the heavens, shuddering in Belle’s arms and flooding her hand with her essence. Belle rubbed her back and made soothing sounds until the sweet fire of Ruby’s climax had cooled, leaving her shivering. Belle gently laid her back on the bed before sucking her fingers clean, humming with delight. Then she slid down beside Ruby and pulled the covers over both of them, snuggling close. Ruby gave Belle a dazed smile as she took her in her arms.

“I love you, Belle,” Ruby murmured, brushing her nose against her mate’s.

“And I love you, Ruby,” Belle whispered, kissing her love’s forehead.

Exhausted for the time being, the two shared soft words of love and chaste kisses. That is, until Ruby made a comment about the lyrics “I will soar when I lay down with you,” causing Belle to straddle her with the intent of showing her  _exactly_ how high she could bring her.


End file.
